


The Time Traveller's Husband

by robin_writes



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Marriage, More angst, Sharing a Bed, Soulmate AU, Time Travel, arrow pre-season to season 6, fake time travel science, flash season 1 to 4, the time traveller's wife, there's a weird age thing here but they don't get together until they're both of age
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2020-12-14 09:35:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21013625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robin_writes/pseuds/robin_writes
Summary: This is the extraordinary love story of Oliver and Barry who met when Oliver was seven and Barry was twenty-six, and were married when Oliver was twenty-nine and Barry was twenty-seven. Impossible but true, because Barry never stops running, he’s a slave to the speed force. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control, Barry and Oliver’s struggle to lead normal lives, well normal for two superheroes, is both intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.





	1. Season One

**Author's Note:**

> I adapted the blurb from the Time Traveller's Wife to suit my needs. If you haven't read that book, you should because it's awesome but it's not necessary to understand this fic. I hope you enjoy.

**Season One: Part One**

The first time it happened was not long after Barry came out of his coma. He would later come up with the theory that what caused the pull was deep emotional distress but there were several instances where that was not the case. This time was not one of those.

Barry was leaning over the roof of the building reaching out, out of breath, but it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t enough. Danton Black hit the ground and died instantly.

But that’s when Barry started vibrating unintentionally. His whole body was moving visibly at a molecular level. A force pulled him by his chest. Barry tried to get away, tried to run but the force was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.

At first, he thought it had to be another meta. He had only met Clyde Mardon and Danton Black at this point so anything was possible.

And then, without warning, the force dissipated. Barry fell to the ground. But he wasn’t on top of the Stagg Industries building anymore. He was somewhere else. Some-when else.

Barry was still in his red tripolymer suit but there wasn’t anyone around. It was dark, probably after midnight, and he was wondering around a large garden. It looked like the family that lived in the house had a lot of money and they obviously had gardeners. There were a few animal shaped hedge structures placed strategically around a fancy patio set. It was nice, really nice.

As he walked closer to the house, which turned out to be more of a manor or a mansion, a sensor light turned on, startling Barry. He zipped off, hiding behind a bush, hoping the red of his suit couldn’t be seen through the foliage.

There wasn’t any noise for a few minutes, but just when Barry thought it was safe to come out of the bush, the French doors were pulled open. In hindsight, he could’ve sped off without anyone seeing him instead of hiding, but he had only had his powers for a week, he wasn’t thinking straight.

Barry ducked down and watched a man a few years younger than him stumble around the patio with a bottle of clear alcohol and drop down into one of the cushioned armchairs. He unscrewed the bottle and took a drink. “You can come out Barry.” He called. Barry froze, how the hell did this man know his name? Was he the reason Barry was pulled there? “Come on! Come have a drink with me.” The voice sounded familiar and very unthreatening, mostly because the man was already pretty drunk.

So Barry stood up, pulled his cowl down and joined the familiar stranger in an armchair opposite him. As soon as Barry was in the light, he recognised the man. It was Oliver Queen. Except he was younger. Like a version of Oliver before he was stranded on the island. Barry didn’t know what to say. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost Barr. Is this your first time?” Oliver smirked.

“First time?”

“You know, time travelling.” He said it so nonchalantly that Barry briefly considered that this was all a psychotropic drug-induced dream. It wasn’t. It felt too real. And he would later be told by Caitlin that his body processed drugs and alcohol too quickly to feel any effects. “It is? Huh, I wasn’t sure. Want a drink?” Oliver passed over the bottle of vodka, but Barry didn’t drink. He just held it in his lap.

“So I do this? This is a thing I can do.” Barry’s voice went higher.

“Yup. I’m not sure how much I should tell you but you’ve been visiting me most of my life. We’re… friends.”

“I’ve only met you once before. In Starling City when I was-“

“Nope.” Oliver cut him off. “First rule of time travel Barry, no spoilers! And sure, you might’ve met me once but I’ve met you dozens of times, that’s how time travel works. You’re a scientist, you should know that.” Oliver reached forward and took back his alcohol, taking a swig.

“How do I get back?”

“Want to leave me already?” Oliver was smirking but his eyes looked sad.

“No, just… do I have to do anything or does it just happen?”

“It just happens. It’s pretty inconvenient, sometimes it’s a few minutes but once or twice it’s been a whole day. Not that I mind your company but people ask questions.”

“How do we usually pass the time?” Barry was nervous. He wasn’t used to talking to people as powerful as Oliver, he wasn’t the Arrow yet but he was still the heir to the Queen fortune.

“We have sex sometimes. Only in the last couple years.”

“What?” Barry turned as red as his suit.

“We can just talk if you want. I remember you saying it took you a while to accept that you liked guys too.”

“Yeah,” His voice cracked. “let’s talk. What’s uh… what’s going on with you in this time?”

“I’m on house arrest. Not literally, but my father is tired of me being in the press each week. He won’t let me out of the house unless it’s for an event he’s given me permission to attend.”

“You’re out of the house now.” Barry pointed out.

“Only because I was pretty sure you’d be here.”

“How did you know?”

“You wrote a list of times and places and gave it to me when I was twelve so I could expect you. It was the oldest I’ve ever seen you so it must be a pretty complete list.”

“Huh, I guess I should get on that.” As Barry spoke, he could feel his body start to vibrate again.

“It’s happening? You’re leaving?” Oliver stood up, suddenly looking sober. Barry thought he looked like he was about to cry, but that couldn’t be right.

“I think so.” Barry said and then he was gone.

It was 2014 again and he was standing on the top of the Stagg Industries building and it had only been seconds. Barry felt like he was missing something, like he had left something behind in his visit to the mid-2000s.

* * *

**Season One: Part Two**

He meant to tell Wells, Caitlin and Cisco, he did. But there was meta attack after meta attack. That with his regular job as a CSI kept him so busy his super-speed didn’t matter. He was still late to everything and never found enough time in the day. He sort of wished that he could control his time travel abilities so he could make the extra hours to have a rest, but every time he tried to turn back time it never worked.

Barry was having a bad week. The new meta he was supposed to stop was his school bully, Tony Woodward. Except this time, he was made of girded steel and had an obsession with taking down the Flash.

But Barry pulled out the super-sonic punch (baby) and knocked him out. Currently, Barry was alone at STAR Labs. Everyone had gone home but every time Barry moved to stand up he started gasping for air, his mind tricking him into thinking that Tony had his arm pressed up against Barry’s throat like he used to do.

It shouldn’t be like this. He won. He beat his bully. But the whole situation; confronting Tony, Tony being a meta, made him feel powerless and mentally and physically exhausted. All he wanted was comfort but Barry couldn’t even stand up to head home where he could find his favourite fluffy blanket and a mug of hot tea.

And then he felt it again. It had been about a month since he travelled to the mid-2000s and he was half-convinced it never happened. This time, though, Barry was too exhausted to try to fight back. So he let the force pull him to another time and place.

There was a hand stroking through his hair. A thigh under his head. Barry peeled open his eyes to see he was on Oliver’s lap. He was older this time, his hair was shaggy and he had a beard. But he looked terrible. Skinny, covered in dirt, and he smelt awful. But then Barry realised the whole place was dirty and smelt bad. “Where are we?” Barry said without sitting up.

“The Amazo, just off of Lian Yu. It’s 2008.” Oliver said. His voice was croaky like he hadn’t had anything to drink in days.

Barry sat up and looked around. They were in a small cell in a row of other cells, all full. Most of the people were staring at him in shock or hope. “I can’t help them.” Barry whispered.

“I know.” Oliver said as though they had had this conversation before.

“Have I visited you here before?”

“Not here, on the Island. I… I tried to get you to take me with you. It didn’t matter that I would be going to the future as long as I could get off the island alive.” Oliver’s voice was flat, hopeless.

“What happened?”

“I held on to you when you started to disappear, but the thing, you call it the speed force, it pushed me off and left with you.”

“How long have you been stranded?”

“I’m not sure. A year… a year and a half. What triggered the visit this time?” Oliver sounded, not content, but as close to it as a man in captivity could get. He spoke to Barry like an old friend.

“What do you mean triggered?”

“Wow, I knew you looked young but this has got to be your second or third jump. Right?”

“Second.”

“Okay, so almost all of the time the time jumps are triggered by something emotional. Last time, was it that meta who fell off the building?”

“Danton Black, yeah that was about a month ago.”

“So what triggered it this time?”

“I had to fight Tony Woodward, my high school bully. I won but I almost didn’t and it brought back a lot of memories.”

“I’m sorry Barry. That must’ve been difficult. How’re you feeling now?”

“Tired.”

“Maybe you should get some sleep then. Who knows how long you’ll be here for.”

“If you’re sure. Oh, I think I have a candy bar in my pocket if you want it.” Barry reached into the pocket of his STAR Labs sweats and pulled out a Hershey bar. He handed it over to Oliver.

“Thank you.” He looked incredibly grateful. “Come on, put your head back down.” Oliver patted his thigh.

“Uhh…”

“There’s no room for you to lay down unless you’re half on top of me, and you seemed to like it earlier.”

“Okay.” Barry laid back down, letting the crinkling of the candy wrapper lull him to sleep.

He woke up in STAR Labs. It was four am and he was lying on the floor in the Cortex. But he felt well rested, and less fragile than before.

* * *

**Season One: Part Three**

The next time Barry saw Oliver didn’t involve any time travel. It involved a boomerang and a rage-inducing meta.

Roy Bivolo was seen on CCTV, stealing cash while patrons in the bank were attacking each other. He just strolled out. Caitlin named him Rainbow Raider after they found that the rage he induced gave people a red haze to their eyes.

It was just by chance that Oliver, Felicity and Digg were in Central City at the time. After the second crime scene where the police tracked the money to a warehouse and ended up attacking each other, Barry followed Oliver to a warehouse where Felicity and Digg were waiting.

The whole time, Barry was focused on Oliver, trying to associate him with the malnourished, hopeless man he had seen on the Amazo but Oliver put up a wall. It was like he was hiding something from Barry. That was confirmed when Barry suggested they team up and Oliver shut him down. “Can I speak to you for a moment Oliver?” Oliver dipped his head and followed Barry further away from Felicity and Digg.

“What’s up?” Oliver tried to sound indifferent.

“Why are you behaving like this? Two weeks ago, I was laying in your lap on a ship just off the coast of an island you were stranded on for five years. And today you don’t want to know me.”

“Barry,” He started like he was chastising a child. “that happened six years ago. And it’s not that I don’t want to know you, I just don’t think you really want to work with me. I know how you feel about my methods.”

“You’re right, I don’t like how you do what you do. But I don’t like you lying to me more. So, tell me what’s got you so tense.”

“You’re not my Barry.” Oliver growled. “You’re Barry but you aren’t my-“

“Not your what?” Barry stood, unable to move.

“You’re not my husband.” Oliver reached into a secret pocket he put in the inside of his suit and pulled out a silver band that he slipped onto his finger.

“So… we get married. You do know I’ve only met you like four times, right?”

“That’s not how time travel works.” Oliver’s mouth upturned sentimentally.

“You’ve said that before.”

“I know. I say it a lot. For a scientist, you sure don’t understand how time travel works.”

“Of course I don’t. I’m pretty certain until now it was all hypothetical. What now?”

“I guess if you still want to work together, I could help on your meta case if you help with my boomerang.”

“I’d like that.”

“Okay. I’ll come by STAR Labs when I have a name for you. You should take Felicity with you so she can have the boomerang analysed.”

“Sure thing, Mr Allen.” Barry said.

“No. Absolutely not. It’s still Queen.”

“Are you sure, I think Oliver Allen is kind of hot.” Barry joked.

“It was going to be Barry Queen, but it was a little odd with all the unintentional time travel so we both kept our names.”

“I should get back to work.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.” Barry nodded and then walked over to Felicity. He let her know the plan and then ran off to STAR Labs with her.

When Barry put Felicity down, she stared at him in wonder. “I know, it can be a little weird.” He said.

“No, well yeah, but I just figured it out. You’re Oliver’s guy. The one he’s married to. The one he’s been seeing on and off most of his life.” She wasn’t that far off.

“No, well yes, but you can’t tell anyone.” Barry said in a hushed voice so they wouldn’t lure any scientists out into the cortex.

“Why not?”

“Because he’s famous and the Arrow and I’m me and the Flash. It’s a whole mess without the paparazzi digging into my life. And my friends don’t know.”

“Is that why you’re not wearing your ring?” Among other reasons, like he didn’t have one.

“Yup, so you’ve got to keep quiet Felicity.”

“Got it.” She nodded and zipped her mouth. “Let’s get to work.”

It wasn’t even five hours before Oliver turned up to STAR Labs. He walked confidently into STAR Labs like Joe and Dr Wells weren’t glaring at him and Cisco and Caitlin weren’t completely shocked by his appearance. “Barry can I have a word?” He asked.

“Sure. I’ll be right back guys.” They walked down the hall and into an empty office that Barry sometimes used to take naps if Joe was at home and he didn’t want to be bothered. “You found something?”

“Yeah, your bank robber’s name is Roy Bivolo. I found a building he’s staying in. He wasn’t there when I went to look around an hour ago.”

“Wait, you went without me? Oliver this is my case. He’s a meta. He could’ve killed you.”

“Barry, it takes way more than a bank robber with superpowers to kill me.”

“That’s not the point, we were supposed to work together. What would you have done if I found a lead on your boomerang and went there myself to check it out?”

“Okay, I see your point. But I was just doing recon. I wasn’t going to engage without you.”

“Oliver, why didn’t you come find me?”

“Barry-“

“I get it, I meant when I was in my coma or afterwards. You’ve known me in the present for almost a year. You say we’re married, but why did you never come find me until now?”

“It’s… this is hard for me Barry.”

“It’s hard for me too.”

“You don’t understand. I’ve known you my whole life, we met when I was seven years old. But sometimes you don’t know me. You, right now you, has only met me four times. You have no idea how difficult it is for me to look my husband in the face and for him to not know me.” Oliver was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, trying desperately not to cry.

“I’m so sorry. Of course this is harder for you. I’ve only been time travelling for a few weeks, this has been happening to you since you were seven. Getting to know me, watching me leave. I can’t imagine.” Barry wiped at his eyes. He didn’t understand the love Oliver felt between them, but he knew what it felt like to care deeply about someone and for them to act like those feelings didn’t exist.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.”

“It’s not fine, but I’d rather have you sometimes than not at all.” There was a pause where Barry thought Oliver might try to kiss him, but instead Oliver took a step back. “I have to go but I’ll meet you at Bivolo’s address tomorrow at nine.”

“Okay.” Barry watched as his husband walked past him and out the door of the office.

He sunk down onto the couch and pulled the soft blanket around himself, pressing his face into the couch cushions. Barry tried to contain the sobs he let out, but it ended up with him just trying to muffle them instead.

Barry reigned in his emotions when he was supposed to meet Oliver at Bivolo’s hideout the next day. But having Oliver as back up wasn’t as helpful as he thought it would be. They were awkward after their talk, out of sync. And that meant Bivolo was able to whammy Barry.

It took a few hours because of his metabolism, but eventually Barry felt the full effects of Rainbow Raider. He blew up at Captain Singh and then again at Cisco and Caitlin. What he wanted more than anything in the world was for the speed force to take on a human form so he could scream at it and make it bleed and tear it apart for making him travel through time. For making a man fall in love with the future version of him and for them both to be stuck with a version of him that never knew that love. For not letting him travel back, no matter how hard he tried, to save his mother that night.

But the speed force was a force, not dissimilar to gravity, something in the world that is waiting constantly for a conduit. It couldn’t be hurt.

So, Barry took to the streets. He headed to the seedy part of Central City and took his anger out on the underbelly of the city; the rapists, the thieves, the mob. Anyone who deserved his anger was left bleeding out onto the pavement.

Oliver found him an hour later. Barry’s clothes were torn and covered in blood and dirt. Oliver restrained him. “This isn’t you. You don’t hurt people. You save them. You’re a hero Barry.”

“You don’t know who I am. I’m not your husband. I’m just a guy who has the same name and face as him.” Barry spat as Oliver got behind him and wrapped his arms around Barry.

“I was wrong yesterday. You are my husband. It doesn’t matter that you don’t love me, it took me years to fall in love with you. I can wait.” While Oliver was speaking, a STAR Labs van rolled up and the door opened to a sequence of colours flashing.

At the end of the sequence, Barry sagged in Oliver’s arms. “I’m sorry.” Barry cried.

“It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay. I’m surprised you didn’t just come find me and try to take me out.”

“I was never angry at you. It was always the speed force.”

“Because we’re married?” Oliver looked hurt.

“Because I haven’t lived it yet but you have. It’s not fair to either of us.”

“I know. Let’s get you cleaned up. Do I… do I have to call an ambulance for anyone?”

“Yeah, there’s nine I think, nine people a couple of blocks away that need help.”

“Okay. I’ll call. You go let Dr Snow check you over.” Oliver ushered Barry away. He sighed and then pulled out his phone.

They caught Bivolo pretty soon after that and added him to the particle accelerator cells. “I’ll see you soon Barry.”

“Yeah, you will.” Barry smiled, looking at the silver ring on Oliver’s left hand. He wondered how old he was when they got married, how long he would have to wait.

* * *

**Season One: Part Four**

A month later found Barry being dragged out to karaoke by Caitlin. It was supposed to be them getting out there, having some fun, maybe finding someone to have fun with. But all Barry could think of was Oliver.

Was he out on patrol? Was he hurt? Was he out on a date? Probably not, but they never discussed if they were exclusive. It would make sense, technically they were married in the future- or well, Barry’s future anyway. Barry slipped his phone out of his pocket and was scrolling through his contacts when he realised he didn’t have Oliver’s number.

He couldn’t get drunk and he couldn’t drunk dial his husband. This night sucked. Caitlin decided very quickly that she wanted to get up on stage despite the fact that she wasn’t in any state to be standing up let alone singing karaoke.

Barry really liked Caitlin but he wanted to be at home more than anything else. He headed outside to get some air when it started happening again; the vibrating and the tugging. He was content just to let it happen, happy to be seeing Oliver again.

That was until he saw the state Oliver was in. They were in a concrete room with the fourth wall made of bars. Oliver was shirtless and shackled to the floor, lying on his back. “Oh God. What should I do?” Barry hurried over and dropped to his knees.

Oliver’s eyes fluttered open and he smiled reflexively and then tensed. “You can’t be here Barry. You have to go. He’ll kill you if he finds you here.”

“Who’s he?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not? This has already happened for me.”

“You’re not wearing your ring. This is the future.”

“What? This isn’t Lian Yu or the Amazo?”

“No, Barry it’s 2016.”

“It can’t be. I was just in 2014. You’re supposed to be safe from all of this.”

“This has nothing to do with Lian Yu. But you have to go.”

“Not without you.” Barry tugged on the chains connected to the ground. “I could break the chains and the bars and I can get you out of here.”

“No, Barry, you have to go. I can’t watch him kill you.” Oliver was shaking, eyes filling up with tears.

“Please let me help you.” Barry leant over and tried to vibrate through the chains.

“Stop. If he sees I got out of the cuffs, he’ll punish me.”

“I won’t let him.” Barry sniffed and wiped his arm across his eyes.

“You don’t have a choice. Barry look at me.” Oliver made eye contact with him. “I love you, but you have to leave me here. I’ll be fine. He won’t kill me, I promise.”

“You can’t promise me that.”

“He’s already said he doesn’t want me dead. He wants revenge for something I did.”

“Tell me his name. I can find him in the past and you’ll be safe.”

“No. This is what’s supposed to happen. Team Arrow will find me soon and I’ll be fine. Let go now, let the speed force take you home.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Stop fighting it, let it take you back.”

“Okay. But make sure you call me as soon as you’re out.”

“Barry, you won’t get that phone call for two years.”

“I know. But I’m sure 2016 me will be waiting for that call.”

“Let go Barry.”

Barry leant back and allowed his body to start vibrating again by itself. There was a pulling sensation and then he was back in Central City outside the karaoke bar. He took a deep breath and then his phone started to ring.

It was an unknown number. Barry answered it. “Hello?”

“Barry, it’s Oliver.” Barry calmed down as soon as he heard Oliver’s voice.

“How did you know to call?”

“It’s on the list you wrote. It says to call because you went to the future and saw something bad. Are you okay?”

“No, I don’t know. It was awful. You were telling me to go or he’d kill me. I didn’t want to leave but you made me.”

“I’m glad you did. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“I’m glad you’re safe too.”

“Goodnight Barry.”

“Night.”

* * *

**Season One: Part Five**

His dad was gone. That’s all Barry could think. Axel Walker and Jesse James had taken his father. He could be dead. It could’ve been a plot to send the police in the wrong direction and they could’ve dumped his dad’s body somewhere. Barry might never see him again. They were both completely crazy. There’s no predictability to them.

He was panicking, hyperventilating, freaking out.

Barry watched the CCTV footage of the prison where Axel walked in, got the Trickster and then walked out with him and Henry Allen. It was too much.

“Barry?” It was Oliver. Wait, when did Oliver get here?

Barry looked around. He wasn’t in STAR Labs anymore. He was in a bedroom. “Where am I?” He asked. Oliver looked young again.

“In my cabin on the Queen’s Gambit. Sara went to get us some wine from the kitchen. You look really pale, are you okay?”

“My dad’s been kidnapped by a couple of insane murderers.”

“Wow, umm… in that case maybe you should just go. I mean, Sara’s on her way back and you should be back there looking for your dad.”

“You’re right. I should go.” Barry tried to channel the same energy he used to leave last time but it didn’t work.

“What’s happening?”

“It’s not working.”

“What?”

“I’ve only left on purpose once before and that was because someone was literally going to kill me. So, I don’t know if I can.”

“I’ve seen you do it a bunch. I promise you can.” Oliver said. Barry tried again, tried to embrace the natural vibration of his body, but it wasn’t enough.

“I can’t. I’ve only had my powers for like nine months. This is not something I can do without fight or flight kicking in.”

Just as Barry said that, there was a loud explosion, a groaning of the hull and then the lights all turned off. “Great job, wishing for an emergency on a ship in the middle of the ocean.” Oliver said sarcastically. Red emergency lights flashed on.

“Oh no! I can’t be here right now. The ship… this was going to happen whether I jinxed it or not.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Find Sara. The ship’s sinking.” Barry rushed out of the bedroom

“Barry? Where are you going?”

“I have to go which means I have to trigger my fight or flight.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Maybe a little.” Barry ran down the increasing slope of the boat, heading towards the section that was already semi-underwater. He just hoped the threat of drowning was enough for the speed force to catapult him back to the future. He chuckled. He definitely was a little crazy.

But it worked. His body began to move and pulse as he came across the salt-water steadily taking over the floor at his feet. And then he was back at STAR Labs, just a little wet with Cisco staring at him wide-eyed. “I can explain.” Barry said.

“What the hell was that? And why are your feet dripping? It hasn’t rained here in two weeks.”

“I can travel through time. But I can’t control it.”

“No shit?”

“No shit. I was just on the Queen’s Gambit.”

“The Queen’s Gambit as in the yacht that sank seven years ago?”

“Yep.”

“And your feet are wet because?”

“I was there as it was sinking.”

“Holy- you were just on the Queen’s Gambit as it was sinking seven years ago?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t believe it. I literally cannot believe it. We’re going to have a very long discussion about not telling your best friend about being able to time travel right after we’ve saved your dad from those lunatics.” Cisco lectured.

“Obviously. Any leads?"


	2. Season Two

**Season Two: Part One**

Barry was beyond glad he never told Dr Wells he had been time travelling since he got his powers. Wells would’ve taught him control and then manipulated him into taking him home. But instead, because Wells never knew, he was trying to teach Barry how to time travel by running. It worked. But Barry swore never to do it again. Time was fragile. It shouldn’t be changed. But it wasn’t like he could help it when the speed force threw him through time.

Barry was at STAR Labs, recovering from being blinded by Dr Light. Thoughts were running through his mind almost as quickly as he could run; Zoom, Dr Light, Linda, Wells, Oliver.

Over and over all he could think of was the devastation Zoom was creating both in this world and on Earth Two. And he wasn’t fast enough to stop him. His body was heating up with anger. And then it was something else.

Barry’s body began to blur and then he was gone.

He recognised the house. It was Queen Manor. Barry headed round the back so he wouldn’t be seen. He noticed a small boy hiding in the trees. Was he in the future or the past?

Barry decided to talk to the boy. “Who’re you hiding from?” He said as he moved to crouch next to the boy. He had short blond hair and looked to be six or seven years old.

“My father. He wants me to wear a suit.” The boy stopped watching the house and turned to examine Barry. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you here before.”

“My name is Barry. I’m a time traveller.”

“Like in Back to the Future?”

“Sort of.”

“Where’s your DeLorean?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Then how did you get here?”

“It’s something in my body. Sometimes I vibrate and then I’m somewhere else.”

“Cool. Are you from the past or the future?”

“That depends. What’s your name?”

“Oliver Queen.” He said proudly.

“Well then I’m from the future. You’re four years older than me.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You are where I come from.” Barry smiled.

“Are we friends in the future?”

“We are.” Barry nodded.

“Can we be friends now? I don’t want to wait.”

“If you want.”

“Cool. I already have a friend. His name is Tommy. We met last week, but you can be my backup friend for when you’re here.”

“I can’t control the time travel but older you told me I come to visit you lots as you grow up.”

“Whenever you’re here we can be friends.”

“I’d like that.”

Barry ended up staying for most of the day. Oliver took him on a tour of the house, which mostly included seeing the kitchen three times to stop for snacks and Oliver showing Barry his bedroom.

It was nice to be somewhere there wasn’t imminent danger and he could let himself relax. Oliver seemed to be having fun asking all kinds of questions about the future. “Are there hover-boards?”

“Sort of, they don’t really hover. But they’re called hover-boards.”

“Lame.”

“I know.”

“Is the sun green?”

“I’m not from a different planet, the sun still looks like it does here.”

“Oh. Hey, why are you blurry?”

“I’m going home.” Barry stood up.

“Why do you have to go? We’re having fun.”

“I can’t control it Ollie, I’m sorry. But we’ll see each other again.”

“Don’t forget about me in the future okay?”

“I promise I won’t.”

“Good.”

And then Barry was back at STAR Labs. He pulled out his phone and fired off a text to Oliver. ‘I just met you as a kid. You were pretty cute.’ He got one back quickly. ‘I think I was seven the first time. And I was right about hover-boards. They are lame.’ Barry laughed as he put his phone away and headed home to get some rest.

* * *

**Season Two: Part Two**

The next time Barry saw Oliver was in the present. He honestly thought it would be more awkward than it was because they were married in the present (Barry had yet to figure out when exactly they got married). But they didn’t have time to be awkward because there was a crazy immortal guy trying to steal Cisco’s girlfriend and kill anyone who got in his way; which was pretty much everybody.

Barry tried to keep to himself as much as possible. Aside from the whole Vandal Savage problem, Oliver seemed disturbed or at least distracted. Barry didn’t want to make it worse by reminding Oliver that he wasn’t really his husband. But then when they were designating rooms at the farm house, Oliver called dibs on a room and Barry as his roommate in the same sentence.

The speedster almost said he’d stay with Cisco but then he turned to look at Cisco who was staring at Kendra, and Oliver who looked like he’d kicked his puppy, and he shut his mouth.

The bedrooms were split up, some of the team had to stay on the couch in the living room and a few, who lived locally, went home for the night. Barry made himself a mug of tea to relax, and also somewhat to stall, as everyone started to say goodnight. Oliver disappeared pretty quickly.

It was fine. Barry would go into the bedroom and he would sleep on the floor or something. It didn’t have to be weird. He knew Oliver, sort of. Better than he did last time they met in the present anyway. Just as Barry was about to take his tea upstairs, he had a strange feeling that he should make a second cup. A later iteration of Barry would describe this feeling as a product of continuous time travelling; his past and future selves were stretched over time much further than they should be. Like a rubber band, sometimes things snapped back. Sometimes he knew things only a future version of himself should know. Like how Oliver only drank tea black with enough sugar to rot his teeth.

Barry took the two mugs up the stairs and knocked on the bedroom door before walking in. Oliver was sat on the double bed in flannel pyjama bottoms and a plain black t-shirt looking over some papers in an envelope. “Hey,” Barry said, setting his mug on the nightstand on the empty side of the bed. “I brought you some tea.”

“Oh.” Oliver looked up, a slightly fearful look in his eye.

“Don’t worry, it’s black and sweet.”

“Thanks.” Oliver took the drink but didn’t look any less troubled.

“Wanna tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?” Barry said, standing awkwardly by the bed. The older man noticed and patted the bed next to him like it was routine. Barry guessed it must have been, for a time at least. He took a seat and sipped at his tea.

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Honestly, who do you think you’re talking to? Semi-secret speedster. Secret time traveller. Secret husband. I have a lot of secrets Ollie. I can keep one more.” Barry said and Oliver’s lips twitched into a small smile.

“I think I have a son.”

“What? How? Who is he?”

“There was a girl before the island. I didn’t know. I thought she had an abortion. But then we broke up and the island and the Arrow. And then I saw her with a kid. He’s the right age. He looks like me Bear.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? You’re not mad?”

“Of course I’m not mad. He might be your son. But first we’ve gotta check.”

“I already did.” Oliver passed over the envelope.

“You have a son.”

“Yeah, I have a son.” Oliver seemed dazed. “Just wish I had a husband too.” He said under his breath.

“I might not be completely the guy you married, but I’m most of him right? How close are we to the wedding?”

“How old are you now?” Oliver asked, squinting at Barry as if he could tell his age by looking at him.

“Twenty-six.”

“Yeah, we’re pretty close.” Oliver smiled and moved the envelope to the nightstand. “You should probably get some sleep if you plan to function in the morning.” He said and Barry huffed a laugh.

“Okay, do you think I could steal a blanket?”

“What for?”

“If I’m gonna sleep on the floor, I don’t want to get cold.” Barry said.

“I’m not going to let most of my husband sleep on the floor. Get in.” Oliver chuckled as he lifted the blankets he had managed to wriggle under.

It was tense for a moment as they settled in to sleep, but then Oliver huffed and tugged Barry towards him to be the little spoon. Barry smiled and quickly fell asleep.

The next day they took out Vandal Savage and Barry was fully functional from the moment he woke up.

* * *

**Season Two: Part Three**

It had been a month since he’d seen Oliver. He wasn’t pining. He wasn’t.

Okay, maybe a little.

Barry felt like it would’ve been weird to call him. So instead, he resorted to sending him the occasional text message and calling Felicity to check in instead. “For the fifth time Barry, Oliver is alright. It was just a knife to the arm.” She had said last time.

“That’s not entirely reassuring Flick.”

“If you want reassurance, I can put the man himself on the phone to tell you it was nothing.”

“No no. That’s okay. If Oliver doesn’t feel like it’s bad enough to call me himself, I don’t need to bother him with my inane worries.”

“I’m sure he’d feel better if you called him though.” Felicity said.

“No need. I’m actually busy. Just wanted to make sure my husband wasn’t bleeding out… again.”

“He’s been moping around since we saw you a month ago.”

“What?” Barry froze.

“Yeah, he’s been moodier, and he’s vanishing off during the day a lot more. You know where he’s going?”

“I do.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Absolutely not. Thanks for the update. Bye Flick.” Oliver had told Barry that Samatha was letting him see William now.

“Bye Barry.” She sighed as he hung up.

Barry was at the drag racing, trying to talk some sense into Wally, when it happened again.

He watched as the car rolled towards Iris in slow motion. It was fine, he was faster. But then there was a glint. Barry watched as a slice of glass hurtled towards Iris. He had to save his sister.

But he wasn’t fast enough. He was never fast enough when it mattered.

The glass pierced her chest and she fell backwards. “Iris!” He yelled. Just as he was about to reach her, Barry felt himself being sucked through time. “No! Not now.” He sank to the floor.

“Barry?” It was a younger Oliver this time. Definitely pre-Lian Yu.

“I can’t be here.” His face was wet with tears.

“What happened?”

“Iris could be dead. My sister could be dead and I wasn’t fast enough to stop it. I was right there Ollie.” Oliver sat down in front of Barry and tugged the man to his chest. He let Barry work through his tears until his phone rang.

“Shit. It’s Laurel. Uhh…”

“It’s fine.” Barry said, detaching himself from Oliver. “Answer it.”

“I can’t exactly.”

“And why not?” Barry squinted suddenly suspicious.

“You know about this in the future right? So you aren’t going to judge me too harshly?”

“Hmm…”

“That fills me with confidence. Sara’s here. Sleeping actually.”

“Yeah… and what were you doing out here then?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“Oh.” Barry said and everything slid into place. Despite the flings and occasional relationship Oliver had had, he was always waiting for Barry. He was waiting to be old enough for Barry; and then he was waiting for Barry to want him; and now in the present he was waiting for Barry to catch up. The air flew out of his lungs. “I’ve gotta go. I’ve gotta make sure Iris is alright, and then I’ve got a phone call to make.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah, don’t you have a girl to go keep company?”

“Guess I do.”

Barry came to, in the present, a few seconds before Iris got hit by the glass. He almost froze. This wasn’t how it happened. And then he had a burst of energy and caught the glass just as it ripped through her jacket. Barry checked but it didn’t cut her. He exhaled. “I’ll see you in a bit, I’ve gotta go.” He said to Iris before taking off again.

He stopped in an alleyway not too far from where the drag racing was, and he pulled out his phone. “Shit.” No battery. “Guess I have no other choice.” He said before running the entire way to Star City.

“It’s about time.” Felicity said when she saw the speedster run into the Arrow Cave. “He’s coming back from patrol now. He’ll be about ten minutes. Tell him I went home.” She said as she picked up her bag and turned off her computer set up before leaving.

Sure enough, Oliver appeared in the Arrow Cave ten minutes later. “Barry? What’re you doing here?”

“My phone died.”

“So you ran all the way here?” Oliver smirked. He began removing his weapons and extra armour as they talked.

“Yep. I had an epiphany.”

“Okay?”

“I’ve made you wait too long.” Barry stepped up to Oliver and took his face in his hands. And then Barry kissed him. Oliver’s hands automatically moved to Barry’s hips and pulled them closer together. Barry moaned into Oliver’s mouth and wondered why the hell hadn’t they been doing this the whole time.

Later, when they had migrated to the couch, Oliver looked down at Barry who was lying on his chest. “That was a hell of an epiphany.” He smiled and it was like the sun had come out.

* * *

**S** **eason Two: Part Four**

Barry had been shocked and slightly disturbed when Cisco had first showed him the den. Cisco had modified Wells’ hidden room to work as a hangout/place where they could talk about time travel and not risk being overheard by bugs or loose ears. But despite his initial reaction, it was a great space for them to talk.

“So, you think that somehow your future and possible past, although we can’t really prove that one, selves are somehow interacting with your present self?” Cisco asked, writing on the white board they had installed.

“Yep. I know things I have no reason to know and it doesn’t make sense. I can’t think of an explanation other than that I somehow have access to a few of my future self’s memories.”

“Alright. Any other time travel quirks?”

“I… I saved Iris.”

“What? When was that?”

“Maybe a month and a half ago. At the drag racing. I saw a piece of glass stab her and she fell back, I travelled back to see Oliver again, and when I got back, the glass hadn’t reached her. I managed to grab it in time.”

“All I’m getting from this is that your visits to past and future beau are seriously messing with the fabric of time and space, at least where you’re concerned.” Cisco paused his writing and turned to Barry. “I would tell you to stop but even if I thought you could, I doubt you’d listen to me.”

“He’s my husband Cisco, I’m not exactly just going to abandon him.”

“You wouldn’t be abandoning him, you could still date him in the present, just not in the past and the future. God this is complicated. And technically he’s not your husband because you haven’t been to the wedding yet.”

“Well then technically he’s not my husband but I am his because he went to the wedding. You’re right. This is complicated.”

“You wanna try travelling on purpose?”

“You just said it would be better for the universe for me to stop.”

“I’m lawful chaotic. Don’t @ me.”

“That’s not even one of the alignments. It’s lawful neutral or chaotic neutral.”

“I literally just told you not to @ me. Now time travel speed boy.”

“I’m not a dancing monkey Cisco.”

“Oh yeah? Then why is it working?” Cisco said. That was the last thing Barry heard before he blinked into a pink bedroom.

“What the hell? Where am I?” He squeaked.

“Wait, are you Barry?” A female voice said and Barry spun around.

“What?”

“Oh shit. I thought Ollie was going crazy or something, on too many drugs. You just appeared from nowhere.” It was Laurel Lance.

“He told you? I’m gonna yell at him so loudly when I see him.”

“No he didn’t. He’s seemed off for a few months, I thought he might be seeing someone else. But then he was doing loads of reading on time travel. I read a few of his journals and they all talked about you and when you were coming next. You’re really a time traveller?”

“In the flesh. What year is it?”

“2005. What year did you come from?”

“2015.”

“Woah. Ten years? Do I know you in the future?”

“We’ve met, but not really. I think this is the most you’ve spoken to me at all.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to be friends with a time traveller?” Oh, because I married your boyfriend.

“Is Oliver around?”

“He was. We were sleeping but my dad came in to check on me and tried to tase Ollie. I think he went home.”

“Is that a common occurrence?”

“It’s happened a few times.”

Barry started to feel the vibrations. “See you in the future I guess.” Laurel said as she noticed the change. He nodded and vanished. “Cool.” She said.

“Dude!” Cisco shouted when Barry appeared back in the room.

“What?”

“It’s been five hours. I have better things to do than wait for you here.”

“That landing’s kinda dodgy huh.”

“Yeah. I should work on that.” Cisco grabbed a slice of cold pizza and shuffled over to the white board. He started to write calculations up.

* * *

**Season Two: Part Five**

This was it. This was the worst day of his life.

It had beat out that time his dad was kidnapped by the Trickster and Trickster Jr. It had beat out the day he found out that Wells had killed his mother. It had even beat out the day Wells actually killed his mother.

Everything was fine. And then he watched as Zoom killed his dad.

He was completely helpless. He couldn’t save him. And his dad was trying to make him feel better.

And then he was dead.

And Barry was alone again.

Except he wasn’t alone. He was married. He had Oliver. Barry blinked and he was in a well-furnished apartment. He hadn’t been here before. “Hey, what happened?” Arms were around him, catching him as he fell to his knees. “Bear, what happened?” Oliver asked as he held him.

“He’s gone. He’s gone.” Barry couldn’t say anything else.

“Your dad?” Oliver asked and Barry nodded. “I am so sorry.” The older man hugged him tight.

“He’s gone Ollie. I just got him back.” Barry started to shake.

“Come on. Up.” Oliver helped Barry stand and then he led Barry to a bedroom. It looked like their bedroom.

“Is this the future?” Barry asked quietly, looking around at the photos of the two of them together.

“Yeah.”

“How long do I have to wait?”

“I can’t, Barry you know the rules.”

“Please.” His voice cracked. “Just give me something good to look forward to.”

“It’s 2017.”

“Less than two years?” Hope shone through Barry’s voice.

“Yeah Bear. Less than two years. Come on, lie down. You need to rest.” Oliver helped get Barry into bed.

“Where’s the present me right now?” Barry mumbled. “That’s something I’ve never considered.”

“There haven’t been a lot of times where my version of you would be in the same place as you. He told me he was going to pick up William from school and take him to the zoo.”

“So he knew I was coming.”

“Of course he did, he’s you.”

“Right.” Barry closed his eyes to sleep but something occurred to him. “Wait, William? Did you finally get Samatha to agree to partial custody?” Barry’s face lit up. But Oliver’s darkened and his eyes became heavy with the weight of what had happened.

“No.” He said and Barry wanted to cry for that poor boy who lost his mother.


End file.
